Cursed Fate
by Kitarakne Lee
Summary: A midnight stroll can lead to a wonderful romance, but the same stroll two months later leads to a fatal death. RLOC


**Disclaimer: All characters from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling and any other party that has been given those rights, i.e. Warner Brothers. Any other characters in this fic is solely mine and would like to ask that no one use them without asking my prior agreement. Thank You!**

**A/N: The first part is in the point of view of an original character, and the second part is in the point of view of Remus Lupin. Hope it makes sense, and please review, even if it is flaming...**

Part 1: That Fateful Night  
I know I shouldn't be going onto the grounds so late at night, but who could resist the warm summer night. This wind feels absolutely wonderful, I'm so glad I wore this gown tonight. I have to do this more often, just slip past everyone and walk on the grounds alone. I can't imagine how the school year will start out. I'm sure the students will respect me. Now if only I know who that man was that sat two seats away from me. Those eyes of his held so much hurt within them, and his face looks so worn yet he doesn't look no more than two years older than me.  
  
Coming here to teach Muggle Studies, who would have ever thought Albus Dumbledore would ever actually hire a muggle to teach. I'm sure once the Governors find out though I'll be fired immediately. I still can't imagine why Albus would hire me. The only connection I've ever really had with the magical world is my brother being a wizard, and that was some surprise to our family. One minute he was accepted and prepared to purchase the uniform, the next an owl flies through the kitchen window and changes our lives forever. That look on Zachary's face when he read that letter telling him that he was a wizard was absolutely priceless. But it also meant I wouldn't be attending the same school as my big brother so that moment was bittersweet.  
  
Every holiday he would come back and tell me great stories about how he was learning to become a wizard and how amazing Hogwarts is. I had hoped and prayed that he would take me to Hogwarts, but he just kept telling me that muggles like myself could never enter Hogwarts. How I wanted to hit him then. But I did indeed visit Hogwarts; it was during Zachary's 5th year.  
  
I had walked into the Great Hall with my parents that Saturday morning, waiting for Zachary's big Quidditch debut to occur. He had been so excited, every letter he sent home had amazing tales about how his practices went, and how the Captain was constantly praising him on his "amazing flying abilities". I'll never understand his love for Quidditch, I'd much prefer football than a game that's played at such heights and could cause such injury. But watching him soar through the air and have those Bludgers practically unseat him did stir a little interest in me.  
  
From that day forward I've written numerous letters to Albus, asking if I could be included in the magical community. We exchanged thousands of letters, and it wasn't until I told him that I've graduated from University did he finally decide to hire me to teach Muggle Studies. The day I received that letter was the happiest moment of my life. Now, a month later, I have my own office and all prepared to teach witches and wizards the ways of a muggle, and walking across the grounds of Hogwarts with just my sleeping gown on, no shoes, no cloak, and my hair isn't even dry from my shower.  
  
The lake is awfully pretty tonight, reflecting the full moon and the millions of stars. I have to thank Hagrid sometime soon, he's really maintained the grounds quite well, and everything is absolutely gorgeous. That man certainly has his ways with nature.  
  
I know Albus warned me about the Forbidden Forest before, but the darkness of it is so intriguing. I highly doubt one quick trip into it could be of any harm. This soft moss is a comfort to my feet after that rather scratchy grass. I don't know why they're so afraid of this place; it's wonderful. The softness of the trees rustling, the soft crunch of twigs, and the tiny sounds of animals running through the dense foliage, how could anyone be in fear of all this calm?   
  
Wait, something's not right, everything's suddenly gone quiet, and nothing can be good if the hairs behind my neck are standing up like that. I think I see something off in the distance, yes, it's a pair of eyes, but what does it belong to? Oh heavens, it's a werewolf, how am I ever going to be able to outrun a werewolf? But I must try; I can't fall to being prey after such long years of wanting to join this wonderful world. I hope this tree will keep me hidden from him. Oh good, he can't see me. No wait, he's not going away, oh why aren't you going away? This isn't good, he sees me, I have to get away. Maybe I could outrun him, yes I'll outrun him.  
  
This forest is getting denser as I'm running, am I running in the right direction? Oh that horrid thing is gaining on me, I must hurry. Trees, trees, why are there so many trees??  
  
My gown! That wretched thing has taken a piece of my beautiful new gown grandmother made for me. Oh I can't let him catch me, I just can't. Ouch, my foot, I hope the blood doesn't draw any other animals to me. He's drawing closer; I could practically feel his breath on my legs. I can't run any further; I'm about ready to collapse.  
  
I can't believe this, all those years of pleading and my life ends at the jaws of a werewolf. He's so close to me. Those teeth are ripping at my gown, trying to get to my flesh, oh please make this quick. Wait, he's licking at my feet. Does blood attract him more than flesh? Please, let someone come by. Oh why was I so stupid as to walk out alone, why? No, he's looking back up at me again. He's looking straight into my eyes, is that a human trace I see in there? But that can't be, when they transform, isn't all human taken away from them? But those eyes, they seem so familiar. I've seen those eyes before. Oh no, he's drawing closer and closer to my neck; I cannot bear to see my own flesh being ripped apart.  
  
Wait, what is this? I don't feel pain, am I dead already? Where has the werewolf gone? Who is this man in front of me? He's the professor I saw sitting at the staff table two seats from me. He's a werewolf? But what could have caused him to suddenly turn back to a man?  
  
I ask him, "Are you alright?"  
  
He creeps closer to me until his face is but a mere centimeter away from mine, "The question should be, are you alright?"  
  
Looking into those grey eyes so close to me I don't know what's coming over me. All of a sudden I am at a loss for words as I very slowly nod, not breaking the eye contact I'm holding with him.  
  
"I should probably take up to Madam Pomfrey and get that cut on your foot healed and these scratches I gave you." He says all this without ever taking his eyes away from mine.  
  
I nod as he picks me up, but the sudden movement of my body cause pain to course up and down my body, making me wince and recoil in his arms. He feels it, I know he feels it, and now his eyes are showing guilt, why couldn't I hold the pain in? As he walks towards the castle I couldn't help but notice that he has a cloak on. It seems rather odd to me that he would have a cloak so handy after a transformation, but the thought quickly leaves my mind as he steps into the hospital wing and is greeted by Madam Pomfrey's clucks of disapproval at the sight of the wounds on the two of us.  
  
"I'm well aware that it is a full moon, so why were you not in your office?"  
  
It's odd that Madam Pomfrey says this, how does she know that he hadn't been in his office? And then she looks at me in the same manner.  
  
"And what could have brought you out on the grounds so late at night?"  
  
"I couldn't sleep."  
  
"Well you could have come to me and I would have been glad to give you a potion."  
  
I lower my head into this man's chest in order to avoid further eye contact with Madam Pomfrey. This man then lays me down on a bed and just stands there while Madam Pomfrey heals me. She then goes and escorts him to his own bed to heal him of the wounds he had, probably from hurting himself during his transformation. I hear him wincing as Madam Pomfrey keeps telling him to hold still while she applies some sort of ointment. After Madam Pomfrey walk away from his bed I gingerly step over to his and sit down on it.  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"Remus Lupin, I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."  
  
Part 2: Guilt-Ridden  
I can't believe I'm here in London. I can't believe it. Just two months ago I was happily spending time with Sarah. We were happy together. I was for once happy. But this wretched curse of mine once again takes away something important in my life.  
  
We were walking on the grounds together, late at night, no one to bother us, just a romantic stroll near the lake. I'd never seen anyone so beautiful before, her strawberry blond hair was shining in the moonlight. I had pulled her out of her room before she had completely dried her hair. I still can't see how she does everything without magic. With her hair still partially wet, it just makes it shine particularly more.  
  
We were circling around the lake when I finally noticed the clouds begin to part. It hadn't even occurred to me that it was a full moon that night; I wanted to kill myself at that very moment. I had quickly pushed her off to the side as I felt the werewolf begin to tear itself out from me. There wasn't even enough time for me to tell her to get away from me. One second I was feeling fine and the next it felt like my insides were about to be ripped out. I had just pushed her aside before I felt my body start to transform.  
  
My hands and feet began to change first, the nails growing longer and everything growing together to form paws with fur covering it. Then I felt my joints began to condense smaller and I began to hunch over as my face began to protrude. My teeth beginning to grow sharper could also be felt, it was once again the most horrid feeling. My brain began to go through the change as well. All I thought about was blood, and flesh, lots of flesh. But a small portion of my brain was still on Sarah and making sure she wasn't harmed by me.  
  
My body was in full werewolf form and Sarah was still close by. She was slowly inching away from me, and I was struggling not to attack her. I figured that gnawing at myself would be the only way I could refrain from hurting her. As I started to chew on my own paw Sarah rushed in. I wish she hadn't done such a thing, maybe then nothing would have happened and I would have gone through the night just harming myself.  
  
She had rushed up to me and grabbed my paw away from my mouth. The werewolf part of my brain instinctively told me to lunge at her and tear her to pieces; but the small part of me that was still human told me to resist and run away from her. Unfortunately her hand had been scratched a little from my teeth. Because of that, blood was trickling from her hand, and the smell of it reached my nose. That was all it took. The werewolf side of me took over and all human sense was gone from my reach. I began to run towards her, teeth bared and a growl in my throat. I could see her run away from me, just as she had done the first night we met.  
  
I knew I shouldn't be doing that, but my animal instinct was too powerful to overcome. Every cell in my body was screaming at me to kill. My mind was set on ripping her apart, it was unbearable but there was nothing I could do.  
  
It wasn't long before I caught up to her and pinned her down to the ground. The first part I attacked was a place I was close to attacking her at the first time we met, her neck. My jaws crashed into the flesh and the veins. Without thinking I had killed the person that had brought me happiness in such a long time.  
  
When I transformed back into a man I could barely look down at her body. I laid my head onto her stomach, the only part of her body unscathed by me, and began to cry. I must have been there for hours because when I finally lifted my head up it was noon and the sunlight illuminated every inch of her mutilated body. She lay sprawled on the ground, the wounds too deep to measure, and blood pouring out everywhere, but already dry.  
  
I picked her up and walked back towards the castle, all the way not looking down at her. Upon entering into the hospital wing everything was a complete blur to me. Madam Pomfrey had let out a gasp and staggered back a few steps before rushing towards us. Then out of nowhere all teachers and staff were around Sarah and me. What happened next was unknown to me, I had passed out once they took Sarah out of my arms.  
  
In a whirlwind of a few days I found myself at Sarah's parents' home, explaining everything that had happened and then helping them prepare the funeral. And that brings me to London, I'm at the funeral, surrounded by all of Sarah's family and close friends, none of them knowing that I was the cause of her death.  
  
It's August 31st, tomorrow would be the beginning of the term, Sarah had looked forward to that day for the most part of her life and now I've taken that away from her. I exit with all the other guests and into the reception area. Quietly I slip out into the street and begin to make my way towards the Leaky Cauldron. Maybe a good night's sleep would take away the headache that is pounding against my skull.  
  
wWwWwWwWwWwWwWw

September 1st, and the beginning of the new term. Sleeping was not good for me at all, visions of Sarah's body kept recurring, keeping me up all night. Now I have to make my way to King's Cross and catch the Hogwarts Express along with all the other students; there's just no way I could apparate to Hogsmeade with this headache.  
  
I enter into King's Cross and quickly go through the barrier to Platform 9¾. I'm glad not many students are present yet, gives me ample time to find a compartment and try to get some sleep.  
  
I finally find a compartment near the end of the train, settled my briefcase alongside my seat, and began to drift off into a nap, hopefully ready to take on my new job at Hogwarts. 


End file.
